1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communications terminal, and more particularly, to an image signal processing apparatus and a method thereof in a mobile communications terminal having a dual camera therein.
2. Description of the Background Art
According to the development of a mobile communication technology and increase in consumers' desires, mobile communications terminals having a variety of functions are being released. Recently, a mobile communications terminal having a camera therein has been so popular.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile communications terminal having a camera therein.
In FIG. 1, a camera module 10 is mounted at a hinge unit of a mobile communications terminal (hereinafter, referred to simply as a “terminal”), and, though not illustrated in the drawing, may be mounted at a folder unit. A lens of the camera module 10 faces toward a subject to be captured in a state that a folder 12 is opened, and moves back and forth according to rotation of a knob 11. Accordingly, after selecting a camera capturing function of the terminal, a user allows the lens to face toward the subject to be captured by using the knob 11 and performs capturing operation.
FIG. 2 is a signal flow between the camera module 10 and a DSP (digital signal processor) 13 while the capturing operation is performed by a camera. With reference to FIG. 2, signal lines (data lines and control lines) between the camera module 10 and the DSP 13 are connected through a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB). The FPCB is a circuit board obtained by coating a 10-micrometer (μm)-thick thin Polyimide (PI) with copper. Since the FPCB is formed of a thin material and is likely to be bent, the FPCB is typically used as a substrate of a high-function terminal or as a connector.
Accordingly, when the user initiates the capturing operation, control signals outputted from the DSP 13 are inputted in the camera module 10 through control lines. The camera module 10 captures a subject according to the corresponding control signals and then transmits captured image data to the DSP 13 through data lines of the FPCB. The DSP converts the transmitted image data into image data in digital format, and then stores and transmits the image data in digital format if necessary.
However, since a mobile communications terminal in accordance with the conventional art has one camera module therein, circuit lines and a signal control between a camera module and a DSP are not complex. But, if one terminal has two cameras therein for video communication or according to a user's demand from now on, circuit design and control may be complicated.
For instance, assuming that a folder type terminal (a folder of a terminal) has two camera modules therein, that is, a camera module for capturing a subject (camera module 1) and a camera module for video communication (camera module 2), as shown in FIG. 3, the number of signal lines and connector pins between two camera modules and a DSP is doubled, compared when one camera module is mounted as shown in FIG. 2, and a control method thereof is more complicated. In particular, since a Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB) on which the signal lines are formed is very expensive, if the number of the connector pins and circuit lines increases, the number of patterns increases. As a result, production costs increase.